Adventures of Ranger Rick: Boomer Badger has a very strange adventure - short story

Ranger Rick, April, 1997 by Kathy Kranking

This was a big day in Deep Green Wood. One of Ranger Rick Raccoon's old friends, named Webster, was coming to visit from far away. Everyone was work- ing together to prepare a great welcome for Webster. Almost everyone, that is.

Not far from the preparations, Boomer Badger was loafing in a sunny patch of wildflowers. He watched lazily as a bee buzzed from flower to flower, busily gathering nectar and pollen.

"Boy," he said with a yawn, "everyone sure is busy today."

The bee pulled her head out of a flower and frowned at Boomer. "Well, of course we're all busy," she said. "We all have to gather sweet nectar for the whole hive to eat. And as we do, we carry pollen from blossom to blossom. That's how the flowers make seeds--they depend on us for that."

"Hmmmph," the badger snorted. "I'm glad nobody depends on me."

"Boomer," Scarlett Fox called just then, "could you come over here, please? We need you to dig some holes for the posts of the welcome banner."

But Boomer wasn't in the mood to dig. He wasn't in the mood to be helpful at all. "Uh, can't right now, Scarlett," he said. "I don't want to get my claws dirty." He held up his long, sharp claws and admired them.

Scarlett put her paws on her hips. "That Boomer!" she fumed to the others. "When I think of all the favors we've done for him . . ."

The other animals began to grumble about ways that Boomer had failed to come through for them. And although Boomer couldn't hear exactly what was being said, he knew his friends were talking about him. So he decided to make him- self scarce. He crawled through the flowers, then scampered off through the woods. Finally he came to a stop and leaned against the trunk of a huge old oak tree.

"What a bunch of nags," he said to himself. "At least now I can get some peace and quiet." But suddenly, the tree trunk gave way behind him! It swung open like a door, and he tumbled backward, landing on the ground. "Wha--what hap- pened?" he cried, jumping to his feet.

Looking around, the badger dropped his jaw in amazement. He had fallen through the doorway into a strange new land. Tall trees with blue leaves towered above him. A pink lake shimmered in the sun nearby. And overhead, puffy yellow clouds floated across the bright green sky.

The tree Boomer had leaned on was gone, but right in front of him was a door. It looked like it was made of tree bark. And it was just standing there by itself. Boomer pushed against the door, then pulled it, but it wouldn't move.

"What's going on here?" he cried, beginning to feel a bit frightened. He gave up on the door and decided to see if he could find someone to help him. He wandered among the strange trees. Suddenly a squirrel leaped onto a branch above his head. "Excuse me," Boomer said, "but I seem to be lost. Could you tell me where I am?"

The squirrel looked down at him and nodded. Then it opened its mouth and began to sing like a bird! It flicked its tail--a bird's tail--then scampered off, disappearing into the blue leaves.

"This place is crazy!" Boomer exclaimed. He was wondering what to do next when he heard a voice behind him.

"I guess the Land of Us does seem strange to a foreigner," it said. Boomer whirled around, and there stood a kangaroo--with wings!

"Yikes!" the badger shouted.

The kangaroo laughed. "Don't be afraid," she said. "My name is Katie, and I'm a perfectly normal kangaroo for the Land of Us. You see, each animal here has a partner. We partners depend on each other to survive. Here comes my partner, Bill, now."

Boomer turned to see a pelican come hopping up to them. The pelican looked normal at first, until Boomer realized it had no wings!

Katie continued to explain. "You see, I have wings, but no pouch. Bill has no wings, but he does have a pouch in his bill. Since Bill can't fly, he depends on me to fly over the lake to catch fish for him to eat. And I depend on Bill for--well, why don't you show him, Bill?" Katie said.

With that, the pelican opened his big beak, and out popped a baby kangaroo!

"Whoa!" Boomer exclaimed. "So you mean all the animals around here, umm, depend on each other as you two do?"

"Yes," Katie said, "we all work together to help each other raise young and find food."

"And we all help each other stay safe from Scorch," Bill added.

"Scorch?" Boomer asked. "Who's that?"

Just as he spoke, a huge shadow passed over them. When Boomer looked up, he could hardly believe his eyes. A gigantic winged dragon flew across the sky, fire spewing from its mouth. As the badger watched, the dragon circled back and began to fly right toward them.

"Run!" animals shouted all around, as partners grabbed each other and headed for safety.

Boomer panicked. He didn't know what to do or where to go.

"Aaggghh!" the badger cried. The dragon was approaching fast. Suddenly Boomer felt someone grab him and pull him into the safety of a cool, dirt-lined bur- row.

Boomer collapsed and tried to catch his breath. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness of the burrow, he realized it had been not one, but two animals that had helped him.